DBI Architects, Inc., a leading architecture and interior design firm in the Washington DC area, recently announced that principal Roseanne Beattie, has been honored Year Up’s the Pete Kuchli Urban Empowerment Award, which is presented to leaders who share Year Up’s values and vision and who are making a strong and measurable impact on urban young adults. The award honors leaders who have worked tirelessly for the progressive advancement of society and have established a standard of excellence for others to follow. Also honored was Sally T. Modjeska, Executive Director of NAIOP DC|MD.

Year Up National Capital Region (“Year Up NCR”), provides a year-long workforce development program for low-income young adults. Each year, as part of the program, NAIOP DC|MD presents the “Gear Up for Year Up” event, conducting mock interviews, helping participants craft “elevator speeches” and tune up their interviewing skills, offering positive and helpful critiques on appearance, delivery, and presentation. Ms. Beattie has chaired this event for the past five years, coordinating as many as fifty NAIOP chapter members, board members, and professional coaches in mentorship efforts for 150 young people from across DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

“I really enjoy working with Year Up and NAIOP, to bring the program together,” Ms. Beattie said. “My favorite part is the actual mentoring. These young adults are trying to find a living-wage job. They’re trying very hard to land permanent positions. It’s very rewarding to be able to give them the benefit of my experience.”

Sabrina Ican, Year Up’s Associate Director of Events and Volunteer Programs summed it up this way: “Year Up’s mission is to close the Opportunity Divide, and the meaningful professional skills workshop you have developed annually for Year Up interns is a fantastic contribution to support this mission. You have engaged dedicated sponsors and volunteers, and built exceptional programming to deliver to the interns, as we’ve grown as a region over the past five years. Your actions have been truly remarkable and align directly with our mission. The two of you, along with the organization NAIOP, serve as a fantastic role model for others in our region.”